Bill Clinton
NEW YORK – JUNE 25: Former U.S. President Clinton speaks at the Greater New York Billy Graham Crusade in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, June 25, 2005, in the Queens borough of New York City. Anthony Correia/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: William Jefferson Blythe III
Place of Birth: Hope, Arkansas, U.S.
Date of Birth: August 19, 1946
Ethnicity: English, as well as Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, German, Swiss-German, and Scottish, distant French Huguenot
Bill Clinton is an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the President of the United States, January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001. He was elected to the position in 1992 and 1996. He was previously the 50th Attorney General of Arkansas, from January 3, 1977 to January 9, 1979, and Governor of Arkansas, from January 9, 1979 to January 19, 1981, and again from January 11, 1983 to December 12, 1992. His wife is politician Hillary Clinton, and their daughter is Chelsea Clinton.
He was Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 1992, and for 1998 (sharing the latter award with Ken Starr).
President Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III, the son of Virginia Clinton Kelley (born Virginia Dell Cassidy), a nurse anesthetist, and William Jefferson “Bill” Blythe, Jr. He took on the surname of his stepfather, Roger M. Clinton. President Clinton’s ancestry includes English, as well as Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, German, Swiss-German, Scottish, and distant French Huguenot. Many of his ancestors had lived in the United States, specifically in the American South, for many generations.
He was the first baby boomer president.
President Clinton’s patrilineal line can be traced to Christopher Blythe, who was born on Isle of Wight, England.
President Clinton’s paternal grandfather was William Jefferson Blythe (the son of Henry Patton Foote Blythe and Frances Ellen “Fannie” Hines). President Clinton’s grandfather William was born in Tippah County, Mississippi. Henry was born in Tippah County, the son of Thomas Jefferson Blythe and Esther Elvira Baum. Frances was born in Tippah County, the daughter of John Francis Hines and Eliza Emily Lockhart.
President Clinton’s paternal grandmother was Lou Birchie Ayers (the daughter of Simpson Green “Dick” Ayers and Hattie Hayes). Lou was born in Tippah County, Mississippi. Simpson was born in Georgia, the son of Asa Ayres, who was born in Ireland; and of Olivia/Olive Vessells. Hattie was the daughter of Irish parents, William Andrew Hayes and Elizabeth Carolin.
President Clinton’s maternal grandfather was James Eldridge Cassady/Cassidy (the son of James Monroe Cassady/Cassidy and Sarah Louisa Russell). President Clinton’s grandfather James was born in Parker Township, Nevada, Arkansas. President Clinton’s great-grandfather James was born in Coffee County, Alabama, the son of George Washington Cassady/Cassidy and Nancy Ann Josephine Snelgrove/Snellgrove. President Clinton’s great-grandmother Sarah was born in Butler/Crenshaw County, Alabama, the daughter of William James Russell and Mary Elizabeth Spradley.
President Clinton’s maternal grandmother was Edith Vallie/Valeria Grisham (the daughter of Lemma/Lemar Newell Grisham and Edna Earl Adams). Edith was born in Bodcaw, Nevada, Arkansas. Lemma was born in Union Parish, Louisiana, the son of James B. Grisham/Gresham and Hattie Rebecca Mitchell. President Clinton’s great-grandmother Edna was born in Hempstead County, Arkansas, the daughter of Martin Franklin Adams and Sarah Jane May.
President Clinton’s matrilineal line can be traced to Clara McBride, who was born, c. 1822, in Arkansas.
President Clinton is sometimes said to have remote Cherokee Native American and/or Romani ancestry, including a would-be Cherokee ancestor named “Harvey James Horse Hunter.” Such claims are fabrications.
Sources: Genealogies of President Clinton – http://www.wargs.com
http://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com
https://famouskin.com
The familytree of President Clinton’s paternal grandfather, William Jefferson Blythe.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pedigree/landscape/LY51-ZBW
I believe he has documented Cherokee heritage. 2nd great-grandfather (as listed) was Martin Franklin Adams (1850). The son of Clarinda Clara Wilson (1821-1884). The daughter of Jane Reaves (1799-1879). The daughter of Susan Hunter (1778). The daughter of Harvey James Horse Hunter (1738-1792) Listed on records as a full blooded Cherokee Native American.
Ethnic?
@jackson
According to some family trees (as Wikitree), he would descend to the African slave Parthena (Snellgrove line), who is also a Matt Walsh and Ruth Gordon ancestor.
@Folles, Andrew is right. Why not change ethnicity to make it more accurate?
So he’s not part Romani?
Interesting stuff. The Blythe are said to be a Traveller Clan from Scottish Borders, thus not in the ethnic sense of Romani term.
There are three theories about the origin of the surname Blythe.
English (East Anglia): from Middle English blithe ‘joyful, happy’ (Old English blīthe ‘gentle, merry’) or from an unrecorded personal name, Old English Blītha, derived from this word.
Scottish: habitational name from Blythe in Lauderdale, Berwickshire, and possibly also from Blyth in Peeblesshire.
English: habitational name from Blyth in Northumberland or Nottinghamshire, or Blythe in Warwickshire, named for the rivers on which they stand. The river name is from Old English blīthe ‘gentle, pleasant’.
This is all very interesting. But I think andrew’s main point was that it doesn’t appear this family was ethnically Romani. Whether they considered themselves English or Scottish will be impossible to discern. It wasn’t until the 1900s that those who’d occupied this border area really saw themselves as either “English” or “Scottish.”
Bill’s patrilineal line can be traced to Christopher Blythe, who was born in Isle of Wight, England.
https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=dowfam3&id=I33649
Along with Bill Clinton claiming to be of Native American ancestry mind mentioning all the internet claims of president Clinton being a Rothschild and how that is inaccurate and he has no documented Jewish ancestry. I think that will stop all the internet rumors. Thanks
No mention of Black/African American ancestry, similar with Warren Harding and Abraham Lincoln. Before Barack Obama, there was no president who has any Black blood, nor Indigenous ancestry or even a Jewish relative FTM.
What are you talking about? Even though Bill Clinton isn’t ethnically Jewish his son in law is Jewish. Hillary Clinton’s step grandfather was also Jewish.
@ethnogenesis
Harding was a descendant of Anthony Janszoon van Salee, who had “Moorish” ancestry.